Covid-19: Not testing close contacts is counter-productive, public health expert warns

Professor Anthony Staines has criticised the decision not to test close contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases. File Picture: Denis Minihane

Plans to not test all close contacts of positive Covid-19 cases are counter-productive, a public health expert has warned.

Due to mounting pressure on the public health system as Covid-19 cases hit record new heights, close contacts are now being told to restrict their movements but will only be referred for a test if they begin to display symptoms.

This marks a change in the previous system, where all close contacts were referred for testing.

Public health expert Professor Anthony Staines has warmed that reported plans not to alert all close contacts of positive cases would be counterproductive.

"One of the basics of public health is the more you know about the cases you're dealing with the better,” he said on Newstalk.

There was also the real concern that if people are not tested, they will not be “in the system” and will not be contact traced, which is really important for breaking down transmission of the disease, he explained.

“They may continue to behave in ways that increase spread of the disease, so testing is important both administratively and psychologically for people.” 

Any possibility of ramping up testing capacity should be done, with a number of testing facilities not in use at the moment, he said.

“I think we should give serious consideration to bringing them online. I'm not a testing person and I don't know the feasibility or otherwise of this, but I think we should be testing as much as we possibly can at this stage.” 

This could be the last lockdown, but it was not going to happen by accident, he added.

“Unless there's a very clear, coherent plan for that to happen, we are looking into potentially several more lockdowns before the vaccines kicks in,” he warned.